The Clorox Company

What does The Clorox Company own?
The Clorox Company owns a portfolio of consumer brands including Clorox bleach, Glad trash bags, Brita water filters, Pine-Sol, Formula 409, Hidden Valley Ranch, Kingsford charcoal, Burt's Bees natural personal care products, Fresh Step cat litter, and Tilex bathroom cleaner. The company operates primarily in the United States with international operations in Latin America, Canada, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Is The Clorox Company publicly traded?
Yes, The Clorox Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker CLX. The company has been publicly traded since 1969, when it was divested by Procter and Gamble following an FTC antitrust ruling. Clorox has no single controlling shareholder, with major institutional holders including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street.

Who founded The Clorox Company?
The Clorox Company was founded in 1913 in Oakland, California by five businessmen: Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, William Hussey, and Rufus Myers. The founders each invested $100 to establish the Electro-Alkaline Company, which produced liquid bleach. The company was renamed the Clorox Chemical Company in 1922.

Where is The Clorox Company headquartered?
The Clorox Company is headquartered in Oakland, California, USA. The company has maintained its headquarters in the Oakland area since its founding in 1913. Clorox operates manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, and the Philippines.

How many brands does The Clorox Company own?
The Clorox Company owns more than 10 major consumer brands, including Clorox, Glad, Brita, Pine-Sol, Formula 409, Hidden Valley, Kingsford, Burt's Bees, Fresh Step, and Tilex. The company sells products in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Who owns The Clorox Company?
The Clorox Company is publicly traded on the NYSE with a broad institutional and retail shareholder base. No single shareholder holds a controlling stake. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street. Linda Rendle serves as Chairman and CEO.

The Clorox Company was founded in 1913 in Oakland, California by five businessmen: Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, William Hussey, and Rufus Myers. The founders invested $100 each to establish the Electro-Alkaline Company, which produced liquid bleach using electrolysis of brine from San Francisco Bay. The company's product was initially sold in bulk to industrial customers.

The company renamed itself the Clorox Chemical Company in 1922 and began selling Clorox bleach in small bottles to retail consumers. The product quickly became popular as a household disinfectant and stain remover.

Procter and Gamble acquired Clorox in 1957, but the Federal Trade Commission ordered P&G to divest Clorox in 1969 on antitrust grounds, ruling that the acquisition had reduced competition in the household bleach market. Clorox became an independent publicly listed company following the divestiture.

As an independent company, Clorox pursued a diversification strategy, acquiring brands beyond bleach. Key acquisitions included Formula 409 (1970), Pine-Sol (1990), Glad Products (1999, in a joint venture with Procter and Gamble), Burt's Bees (2007, for approximately $925 million), and Renew Life (2016).

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, demand for Clorox disinfecting products surged dramatically as consumers sought to protect themselves from the virus. Clorox's disinfecting wipes and sprays were among the most sought-after products in the United States, leading to widespread shortages. The pandemic-driven demand boost was followed by a significant normalization period as consumers worked through stockpiles.

In August 2023, Clorox suffered a significant cyberattack that disrupted its operations, causing product shortages and contributing to a decline in net sales. The company estimated the cyberattack cost it approximately $356 million in lost sales in fiscal year 2024.

For fiscal year 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), Clorox reported net sales of approximately $7.1 billion, reflecting recovery from the cyberattack and continued brand investment.

The Clorox Company maintains comprehensive sustainability and ethics practices integrated into its IGNITE strategy, which focuses on creating value through environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and strong corporate governance. The company's commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through science-based targets, sustainable packaging initiatives, and responsible product innovation.

Environmental Stewardship:

• Science-Based Targets: Comprehensive climate goals including greenhouse gas emissions reduction, energy efficiency improvements, and water conservation programs
• Sustainable Packaging: Commitment to optimizing resin use, increasing recyclable and compostable materials, and reducing packaging waste
• Sustainable Operations: 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 17% reduction in energy use, 22% reduction in water consumption, and 33% reduction in solid waste to landfill since 2011 baseline
• Product Sustainability: Sustainability improvements to 51% of product portfolio, surpassing 2020 goals two years early
• Environmental Compliance: EPA Safer Choice and Design for the Environment certifications for multiple product lines

Product Safety & Innovation:

• Ingredient Transparency: First major consumer packaged goods company to voluntarily disclose ingredients in U.S. retail and professional cleaning products
• Safer Choice Partnership: Seventh consecutive year as EPA Safer Choice Partner, with products featuring Safer Choice and DfE labels
• Animal Welfare: Products not tested on animals, with cruelty-free formulations across multiple brands
• Product Stewardship: Product safety teams involved from the start of formulation processes across all brands
• Sustainable Concentrates: Participation in Sustainable Concentrates & Refills Initiative to promote refillable product formats

Social Responsibility:

• Community Impact: Nearly $20 million contributed to global communities through cash grants, product donations, cause marketing, and employee volunteerism
• Safe Water Project: Providing bleach to make drinking water safe for up to 4 million people in Kenya and Uganda by 2020, building on Peru project established in 2012
• Disaster Response: Long-standing support for communities during pandemics and natural disasters, including hurricane and wildfire response
• Employee Engagement: Best-in-class employee engagement of 88%, with diversity and inclusion programs and CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge
• Diversity Leadership: 33% minority board members, 33% female board members, and 50% women and minority board members, exceeding Fortune 500 averages

Corporate Governance:

• Integrated Reporting: Among first U.S. companies to publish integrated annual reports demonstrating corporate responsibility embedded in business strategy
• Financial Responsibility: Track record of raising annual dividend every year since 1977 with strong total shareholder returns
• Ethical Leadership: Board diversity and executive leadership with women making up 33% of executive committee
• Stakeholder Value: Commitment to "Good Growth" - growth that is profitable, sustainable, and responsible

The company's IGNITE strategy continues to drive digital transformation and sustainability innovation across all operations, with over $500 million invested in technologies and processes over five years.

The Clorox Company has received significant recognition for its sustainability leadership, product innovation, and workplace excellence.

Sustainability Leadership:

• Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies (2019): Ranked No. 7 overall and No. 1 among consumer packaged goods companies for second consecutive year
• EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year (2024): Seventh consecutive year recognition for manufacturing products with safer ingredients
• ISSA Environment & Sustainability Innovation (2024): Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes won Environment & Sustainability Innovation of the Year Award
• America's Safest Companies (2024): Recognition for workplace safety and ESG leadership through IGNITE strategy

Product Excellence:

• American Consumer Satisfaction Index: Consistently ranked among top in competitor group for personal care and cleaning products
• Innovation Awards: Multiple recognitions for Clorox EcoClean product line and sustainable product innovations
• Quality Recognition: High rankings for product quality and safety across multiple consumer categories

Workplace Excellence:

• Employee Engagement: Best-in-class 88% employee engagement score versus industry averages
• Diversity & Inclusion: Recognition for board diversity and executive leadership diversity
• Great Places to Work: Certification for workplace culture and employee experience
• CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion: Signatory recognition for inclusive workplace commitments

Financial Performance:

• Dividend Aristocrat: Recognition for 47+ consecutive years of dividend increases (since 1977)
• Total Shareholder Returns: 90% total shareholder return over five years versus 38% peer group and 50% S&P 500
• Fortune 500 Ranking: Consistent inclusion in Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations

These awards reflect Clorox's position as a sustainability leader in consumer packaged goods, commitment to product safety and innovation, and excellence in workplace practices and financial stewardship.

The August 2023 cyberattack on Clorox was the most significant operational disruption in the company's recent history. The attack compromised Clorox's IT systems, forcing the company to take systems offline and revert to manual processes. The disruption caused significant product shortages and contributed to a decline in net sales. Clorox estimated the attack cost approximately $356 million in lost sales.

Clorox has also faced scrutiny regarding the environmental impact of its bleach and cleaning products, including concerns about chlorine compounds in wastewater. The company has committed to sustainability initiatives including reducing plastic packaging and improving product formulations.